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An Invasion By Any Other Name: The Kremlin’s Dirty War in Ukraine
The fighting continues to escalate in several locations along the Donetsk front. The Ukraine Crisis Media Center reports on today’s military briefings:
One Ukrainian serviceman died in combat in the ATO zone yesterday and seven were wounded. Militants conducted 39 attacks at ATO troops’ positions in the Donetsk sector, one in three involved the use of mortar launchers. The most intense fighting took place near Avdiivka. “Militants tried to seize our stronghold, but ATO troops successfully repelled the attack. Moreover, multiple mortar attacks took place in this area: at least 130 mortar shells were launched at our positions. Militants are mostly shooting from the south (Yasynuvata and Yakovlivka), but the situation south of Avdiivka (Spartak village) is restless too,” informed Colonel Andriy Lysenko, Presidential Administration spokesperson on ATO related issues, at a briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. According to him, militants conducted a series of mortar attacks in Zaitseve and near Kodema village. The situation was also difficult at the Svitlodarsk bulge and in the vicinity of the Donetsk airport.
Meanwhile, heavy fighting is reported this evening in several areas including new Donetsk city:
One has to wonder whether the Ukrainian government is getting tired of the escalation in fighting. Today the Presidential administration nominated Serhiy Popko, the chief of the Anti-Terror Operation (ATO) as the “Commander of Land Forces.” Could this suggest that the Ukrainian military will seek a new response to the increased fighting?
— James Miller